McGinn: Road diets, tax levies, a ‘road map’ for kids

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, expansive before a friendly liberal audience, on Wednesday hinted that more Emerald City streets will be put on “road diets,” more tax levies will be put before the city’s generous voters, and that the city is preparing a “road map” for Seattle youth.

The mayor outlined big dreams of transforming Seattle as he appeared before the Metropolitan Democratic Club.

In the same breath, however, McGinn acknowledged that the city is “broke” and can’t do basics like hire more police officers.

“We’re going to ask the public to help us with new revenue sources,” McGinn said.

McGinn argued that Seattle should “avoid the big massive capital projects” but talked about an education levy in 2011, asking voters for money to fix the Seawall, and “a new transit master plan” that will presumably include more light rail.

On the issue of more men and women in blue – after a member of the audience mentioned new hires in Sacramento – McGinn added: “I would love to have more police but these guys aren’t like volunteers on my campaign.”

McGinn spoke of such goals as creating a “shared prosperity”, a “social justice initiative,” and a bold goal for his road map coming out of recent Youth and Family Initiative meetings.

“Our goal is how do we get 100 percent of our youth ready for post-secondary achievement,” he told the gathering of liberal Democrats.

What will be mapped by the road map? “What does it look like from pre-birth to post-secondary education?” said McGinn.

As an example of “shared prosperity,” McGinn cited a $20 million federal Stimulus grant to weatherize homes in southeast Seattle. The grant will insulate 3,000 homes and employ 2,000 people, McGinn predicted.

The mayor also talked about his Walk-Bike-Ride program.

McGinn derided what he called “20th Century infrastructure.” He said the city is “looking at other corridors” where four-lane streets can be re-striped to only two lanes, plus a left turn and a bicycle lane.

He talked about the dangers of N. 85th Street near his Greenwood home, and hinted that 23rd Avenue, which runs through the Central Area and Capitol Hill, might be a “road diet” target.

While he did not talk of taking on critics in municipal government, McGinn did nothing to put to rest growing suspicion in the political community that his supporters may challenge Seattle City Council incumbents in the 2011 election.

He challenged the City Council to “stand with me” in refusing to pay any cost overruns on the deep bore tunnel, and referred to the state’s financial commitment to the project as “a $2.4 billion hole in the ground.”

The mayor repeated his belief that new lanes on a rebuilt S.R. 520 bridge over Lake Washington should be reserved for transit only. He predicted that imposition of tolls to pay for the project will likely diminish traffic.

“Once you put a toll on it, four lanes is enough because people won’t drive on it,” McGinn said.

The mayor took away a form to join the Metropolitan Democratic Club, but gently dissed fellow Democrat Gov. Chris Gregoire on both the deep bore tunnel and S.R. 520 rebuild.